The quake hit at 4:41 p.m. (1341 GMT), with the epicenter located between the towns of Hendek and Akyazi, located some 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the city of Adapazari, Ahmet Isikara, the head of the seismological center in Istanbul, told the all-news NTV channel.

"I have talked to regional officials who said that there were so far no reports of casualties or damage in their areas," Isikara said.

He refused to elaborate whether the tremor, which was also felt in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul and throughout the Marmara region, was an aftershock of last year's massive earthquake or not.

"It is too early to say," Isikara said.

Two devastating earthquakes shook northwest Turkey on August 17th and November 12th last year, killing more than 20,000 people and injuring tens of thousands more -- ANKARA (AFP)